I realize more and more as I read and listen and learn in this class, that I often create more work for myself. There are so many helpful tools out their to make your job easier,but if you keep doing things the same way because they are comfortable, or if you do not acquire the tools because you know how to do it this old way - you are oftentimes going to create more work for yourself. It is like yard work. I spent over an hour digging up an area, not wanting to bother my friends by borrowing their tiller. I looked at our yard, at all the areas that needed work, and finally conceded to my husband. He got the tiller and in half an hour, all the areas were dug up and ready to be worked with. Had I kept going with my old comfortable methods, sure I would have felt great about all the physical activity I accomplished, but in the end, the final product is the same. My method was older, slower, and harder; my husband's method was newer, faster, easier and...smarter.
So...why am I still using the shovel in research and information gathering when there are many impressive tillers to choose from...honestly I just don't think I have the time to use this stuff enough to get really comfortable with it.
Anyhow...I digress.
I made a digital mad for a possible unit in my literature course. We look at the Holocaust each year, through poetry and Elie Wiesel's Night as well as many images, we research this period. I have a final project rather than a final paper. This project involves images form the novel. I love the project but realize it gives those who are artistically superior a huge advantage.
Incorporating media/images that already exist and allowing students to create from that will greatly enhance this project. At the same time, I have always felt this unit needs to be taken to a higher level - make this pertinent to students today. This is where the note-taking/pre-writing could come in to play. I have students select the most powerful images form the text and explain why they are so powerful to them as a reader. I could then have them look deeply at their selections, map their ideas, look for patterns and select a topic or theme to research/address using present day examples. I attempted this using Inspiration. I just used the definition of genocide and found examples through history. Now, this is just a beginning but I found that I really liked inspiration. I have used Inspiration before but just to make identity maps that are very simple. This genocide map I played with notes, hyperlinks, and just got more comfortable using it. I like it - a lot. I can see kids liking this and manipulating things. I think this would be especially great for a collaborative project. Perhaps through discussion, students with similar interests could work together on a project that incorporates text, images, sound, and what ever else they wish to add.
I am excited. Now I need to make sense of this - perhaps I need to map my ideas as well to clarify everything that is floating in my head.
I have attempted to get in the habit of using Google notebook. I see the benefits of this and it appears quite handy, but I haven't fallen in love with using it yet so it is not automatic to go there. Currently, the majority of my students just copy and paste into a word document. This practice (one which I use often as well) usually creates too much information that the student believes they will sort through later. Reality of it is they don't usually sort through it later at all - they become overwhelmed with the amount of information, much of which is not necessarily relevant or pertinent to their exact study. At the same time, they feel they have to use something form it b/c, well, they gathered it so if they don't use it it will be a waste of time, and...they need X amount of sources anyhow so this will have to fit somehow.
In conclusion, I want to spend more time using tools like Google notebook and Inspiration. I am definitely taking the kids to the lab next paper and having them map it out on Inspiration - it just works so well and gives a visual cue to paper writing. I liked that I could just throw all my ideas out in Inspiration and then after everything was down, then I could link items and then click a button to have it all organized. I believe on major problem with paper writing is organization and focus - well, Inspiration takes care of both these things.
Belowis a simple map that I started to play around with my possible Unit project.
So...why am I still using the shovel in research and information gathering when there are many impressive tillers to choose from...honestly I just don't think I have the time to use this stuff enough to get really comfortable with it.
Anyhow...I digress.
I made a digital mad for a possible unit in my literature course. We look at the Holocaust each year, through poetry and Elie Wiesel's Night as well as many images, we research this period. I have a final project rather than a final paper. This project involves images form the novel. I love the project but realize it gives those who are artistically superior a huge advantage.
Incorporating media/images that already exist and allowing students to create from that will greatly enhance this project. At the same time, I have always felt this unit needs to be taken to a higher level - make this pertinent to students today. This is where the note-taking/pre-writing could come in to play. I have students select the most powerful images form the text and explain why they are so powerful to them as a reader. I could then have them look deeply at their selections, map their ideas, look for patterns and select a topic or theme to research/address using present day examples. I attempted this using Inspiration. I just used the definition of genocide and found examples through history. Now, this is just a beginning but I found that I really liked inspiration. I have used Inspiration before but just to make identity maps that are very simple. This genocide map I played with notes, hyperlinks, and just got more comfortable using it. I like it - a lot. I can see kids liking this and manipulating things. I think this would be especially great for a collaborative project. Perhaps through discussion, students with similar interests could work together on a project that incorporates text, images, sound, and what ever else they wish to add.
I am excited. Now I need to make sense of this - perhaps I need to map my ideas as well to clarify everything that is floating in my head.
I have attempted to get in the habit of using Google notebook. I see the benefits of this and it appears quite handy, but I haven't fallen in love with using it yet so it is not automatic to go there. Currently, the majority of my students just copy and paste into a word document. This practice (one which I use often as well) usually creates too much information that the student believes they will sort through later. Reality of it is they don't usually sort through it later at all - they become overwhelmed with the amount of information, much of which is not necessarily relevant or pertinent to their exact study. At the same time, they feel they have to use something form it b/c, well, they gathered it so if they don't use it it will be a waste of time, and...they need X amount of sources anyhow so this will have to fit somehow.
In conclusion, I want to spend more time using tools like Google notebook and Inspiration. I am definitely taking the kids to the lab next paper and having them map it out on Inspiration - it just works so well and gives a visual cue to paper writing. I liked that I could just throw all my ideas out in Inspiration and then after everything was down, then I could link items and then click a button to have it all organized. I believe on major problem with paper writing is organization and focus - well, Inspiration takes care of both these things.
Belowis a simple map that I started to play around with my possible Unit project.
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